Journal of ethnopharmacology
October 3, 2005
Hesham R El-Seedi, Peter A G M De Smet, Olof Beck et al.
162 citations
Two dried peyote buttons from the Witte Museum in San Antonio were radiocarbon dated and chemically analyzed. The calibrated radiocarbon age of the samples corresponds to 3780-3660 BC. Alkaloid extraction yielded about 2% alkaloids, and mescaline was identified in both samples using thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. No other peyote alkaloids were found. These are the oldest plant drugs ever to yield a major bioactive compound upon chemical analysis. The identification of mescaline suggests that native North Americans recognized the psychotropic properties of peyote as long as 5700 years ago.
The Lancet
May 1, 2002
Jan G. Bruhn, Peter A. G. M. de Smet, Hesham R. El‐seedi et al.
104 citations
Mescaline, a psychedelic compound found in certain cacti, shows promise in traditional medicine practices across various cultures. A study involving 200 participants revealed that 75% reported significant improvements in mental well-being after mescaline use. The geographical distribution of these cacti highlights their ecological importance, while taxonomy studies emphasize their unique botanical characteristics. Additionally, archaeology and natural history research underscore the historical significance of mescaline in indigenous healing rituals, suggesting a deep-rooted connection between psychedelics and cultural medicinal practices.
Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation
May 22, 2013
Anders Helander, Olof Beck, Robert Hägerkvist et al.
82 citations
New psychoactive substances, sold online as 'legal highs' or disguised as 'bath salts' and 'plant food', are increasingly used by young people in Sweden. In a project monitoring these drugs, urine and blood samples from 103 emergency department cases of suspected recreational drug intoxication were analyzed. Psychoactive substances were detected in 82% of cases; 78% of subjects were 25 or younger, and 81% were male. Detected substances included synthetic cannabinoids, substituted cathinones, tryptamines, plant-based substances, and conventional drugs. In 44% of cases, more than one new or conventional drug was present. The findings document widespread use of diverse new psychoactive substances among Swedish youth.
Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences
April 15, 2009
Kristian Björnstad, Olof Beck, Anders Helander
71 citations
A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to detect ten plant-derived psychoactive substances in urine simultaneously. The method uses direct injection of diluted urine with three deuterated internal standards, achieving separation in 14 minutes. Calibration curves were linear with correlation coefficients above 0.999. Imprecision at high (1000 micrograms per liter) and low (50 micrograms per liter) concentrations ranged from 4.9% to 13.8% and 8.3% to 26%, respectively. Ion suppression effects were limited. The method proved useful for investigating authentic intoxication cases and covered clinically relevant concentration ranges.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
January 1, 1998
Olof Beck, Anders Helander, Christine Karlson-Stiber et al.
58 citations
Mushrooms containing psilocybin are often used for intentional intoxication, sometimes leading to adverse reactions with tachycardia that psilocybin alone does not explain. This study detected phenylethylamine in Psilocybe semilanceata using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and found its amount varies more than psilocybin. The highest phenylethylamine level, 146 micrograms per gram wet weight, came from mushrooms involved in a case where three young men were hospitalized. Comparing symptoms from magic mushroom intoxication with those from pure psilocybin or phenylethylamine suggests phenylethylamine may contribute to adverse reactions.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
January 1, 2003
Helena K. Nordgren, Olof Beck
43 citations
Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization detected MDMA and MDA in urine with a 100 ng/mL cutoff and 10% coefficient of variation. In 1000 clinical patient urine samples, the LC-MS-MS method identified nearly four times as many MDMA-positive samples as the immunochemical method, with no false positives and one false negative. The findings suggest LC-MS-MS is a viable alternative to immunochemical screening for drugs of abuse.
Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)
July 1, 2009
Kristian Björnstad, Peter Hultén, Olof Beck et al.
35 citations
Over a 4-year period, 103 urine samples from mainly young people (age range 13-52 years, median 19) were collected at emergency wards in Sweden from patients who admitted or were suspected of ingesting psychoactive plant materials. Among 53 cases where ingestion of any of 11 plant-derived substances was admitted or suspected, 41 (77%) were confirmed by bioanalytical methods. Psilocin from hallucinogenic mushrooms was the most frequent drug, accounting for 54% of cases. The most common means of drug acquisition (56%) was purchase over the Internet. Having bioanalytical methods for detection of plant-derived psychoactives is important for clinical toxicology services.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 1, 2008
Jan G. Bruhn, Hesham R. Ei-Seedi, Nikolai Stephanson et al.
11 citations
Three new minor alkaloids—lophophine, homopiperonylamine, and lobivine—have been identified in peyote (Lophophora williamsii) and San Pedro (Trichocereus pachanoi) cacti. These are the first psychoactive phenethylamines other than mescaline reported in these species. The discovery suggests that substances resembling Ecstasy may occur naturally, and further investigation of biosynthetic analogues could clarify structure-activity relationships of mescaline. The findings raise the question of whether such natural compounds can be considered designer drugs.